Integrating Sustainable Land Management for Post-Conflict Economic Recovery

The United Nations estimates that approximately 100 violent conflicts have come to an end across the world. The economic challenges faced by post-conflict countries are way severe than those faced by poor but peaceful developing countries. They include degradation of land, destroyed human and social capital, access denial for livelihood area due to landmines, loss of income and widespread poverty. These conditions cause land uneconomical with gradual loss of fertility due to reduction in nutrient levels. Therefore, economic policy priorities for post-conflict countries should take these differences into account. If sustainable land management (SLM) is neglected or not properly addressed, further land degradation will occur. This paper reflects on the gaps of rebuilding livelihood and economic recovery in a selected post-conflict destination in Sri Lanka and offers a practical and cost-effective approach to secure a more stable future. In Northern Sri Lanka, through interviews and observations we found that livelihood has started in post clearance land following a longstanding ethnic war. The current land use trends are influenced by immediate commercial motives and SLM is overlooked which continues damage to the land. The study suggests a framework to integrate SLM for post-conflict economic recovery.